science

OWLeS

OWLeS is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OWLeS rather than just read about it. In short: The Ontario Winter Lake-effect Systems (OWLeS) was a field project focused on three modes of lake-effect snow: Short-fetch, long-fetch, and downstream coastal and orographic effects. The project was conducted along Lake Ontario in the Great Lakes region and in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

Key takeaways

OWLeS belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OWLeS to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OWLeS from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Ontario Winter Lake-effect Systems (OWLeS) was a field project focused on three modes of lake-effect snow: Short-fetch, long-fetch, and downstream coastal and orographic effects. The project was conducted along Lake Ontario in the Great Lakes region and in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. OWLeS occurred in two field phases, one in December 2013 and another in January 2014. The project is a collaborative effort of nine universities and the Center for Severe Weather Research and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Principal investigators David Kristovich, adjunct associate professor, director of Atmospheric Sciences Group, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Bart Geerts, associate professor, University of Wyoming Richard Clark, department chairman and professor of meteorology, Millersville University Jeffrey Frame, clinical assistant professor, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Neil Laird, associate professor of Atmospheric Science, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Kevin Knupp, professor, University of Alabama in Huntsville Joshua Wurman, president, Center for Severe Weather Research Karen Kosiba, research scientist, Center for Severe Weather Research Nicholas Metz, assistant professor of Geosciences, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Todd Sikora, professor, Millersville University Jim Steenburgh, professor, University of Utah Scott Steiger, associate professor, State University of New York at Oswego Justin Minder, assistant professor, State University of New York at Albany George Young, professor, Pennsylvania State University

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OWLeS

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OWLeS claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OWLeS before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OWLeS ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OWLeS

In research: OWLeS appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses OWLeS in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: OWLeS is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Great Lakes, Lake Ontario, Meteorology research and field projects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OWLeS outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study OWLeS in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OWLeS means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain OWLeS out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OWLeS in simple terms?

Why does OWLeS matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OWLeS?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OWLeS.